Bob Finnan: Luke Walton's presence felt on Cavaliers

By Bob Finnan

Sunday, December 30, 2012

One of the biggest compliments one can give a basketball player is that he knows how to play the game.

That's the case with Cavaliers forward Luke Walton.

He's the Cavs' oldest statesman at 32. Knee and back problems have sapped much of his athleticism. However, when he has the ball in his hands, it always goes to the right player in the right spot on the court.

He just knows how to make basketball plays. Of course, he should. He's the son of Hall of Fame center Bill Walton, who won two NBA championship rings during his injury-plagued career.

Walton is a calming influence on the Cavs' second unit. He doesn't get rattled on the court. Lately, he's been able to penetrate and kick the ball to open teammates. That happened on three occasions on Saturday in Brooklyn. He found power forward Tristan Thompson for good looks at the rim in the Cavs' 103-100 loss to the Nets.

Thompson finished with 17 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.

Don't laugh, but Walton might have a better feel for where the ball is supposed to go than Cavs point guard Kyrie Irving. It's instinctual for Walton, part of his DNA.

He's come a long way with the Cavs. He appeared to be a throw-in in the Ramon Sessions deal with the Lakers last season. Swingman Jason Kapono came with Walton and a first-round pick in the deal. The Cavs quickly bought out Kapono's contract. Would Walton be next? The Cavs decided to hang onto him.

Very few observers thought Walton would make the roster coming out of training camp. Few teams, though, are willing to cut a player with a $6.1 million guaranteed contract, even one with a billionaire owner.

If for no other reason, his contract could be included in a deal at the Feb. 21 trade deadline.

But along the way, he grew on Coach Byron Scott. Walton moved past youngsters Samardo Samuels, Jon Leuer and Kevin Jones to grab the backup spot at power forward.

The 6-foot-8, 235-pound Walton is at a disadvantage defensively at power forward. However, he can't really guard small forwards, either.

But he knows where he's supposed to be on the court and how to stay between his player and the basket.

Walton had four points, four rebounds and a season-high six assists on Saturday.

"It goes to show you, he's always ready," Scott said. "You never know what's going to happen with injuries or guys not playing well. He's the same way if he plays 20 minutes or he doesn't play at all. That's why he's been in the league so long."

He played eight-and-a-half seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he was drafted out of the University of Arizona in 2003.

It's interesting how things always seem to return to their roots in the NBA. The Cavs brought in Walton and Kapono, then a UCLA swingman, for a spirited workout a week before the 2003 draft. The two players battled on the practice court at Quicken Loans Arena. Then Cavs general manager Jim Paxson drafted Kapono with the second pick of the second round. Paxson said he was intrigued by Kapono's shooting ability.

Walton went to the Lakers with the following pick.

Of course, no one paid much attention to either selection, since the Cavs drafted some high school player from Akron with the first pick in the 2003 draft. Wonder what happened to that LeBron James kid?

Scott never got a chance to coach James. But he enjoys coaching Walton, who won two rings with the Lakers.

"Luke is more of a captain," he said. "He keeps these guys in check. He knows how to communicate."